Just a year after playing in Los Angeles, Anthony Davis might be headed to the other mega-market.
The New York Knicks are expected to check in with the Dallas Mavericks if and when Davis becomes available for trade, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reported this week. Begley says the Knicks want to win a championship this season and that they are thus likely to consider a move for Davis, particularly if Dallas offers the 10-time NBA All-Star for below market value.
Davis, now 32, has not played since October due to a calf strain. With the Mavericks now 13th in the West at 5-13, a Davis trade may potentially be on the table ahead of the February deadline, especially now that former Dallas GM Nico Harrison (a big Davis advocate) has been fired.
As for the Knicks, they need a shot in the arm right now at an underwhelming 9-6 on the year (fifth in the East). In the midst of a season where the conference is truly wide open, New York may need to buy aggressively at the trade deadline in order to maximize their opportunity.
A potential issue for New York is that their cupboard is a extremely bare at this point given all they assets that they already moved over the last couple of years in separate trades for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. As such, they might have to rely on whatever young talents they have left (e.g. 23-year-old Ariel Hukporti and 20-year-old Pacome Dadiet) plus future pick swaps and protected picks acquired from other teams in order to make a competitive offer for Davis.
Earlier this week, we heard a rumor that another contender in the East may make a run at Davis on the trade market. The Knicks now appear to be a safe bet to enter the mix as well, but whether they can cobble together the best offer for the former No. 1 overall pick Davis will be a different story entirely.
